What Will Dean Do If Elected? Part I

[LuminousX]

In light of the accusation that there are too few Dean policy threads, I shall attempt to rectify that situation. All emphasis and style choices are mine.

Dean's National Invest For Success Initiative

Equal Opportunity for Every Child

<snip preambulatory paragraphs>

The Dean Invest for Success plan will double the current investment in early education so that parents will have the resources to be their child's first teacher without having to struggle to pay for childcare or preschool. This $110 billion commitment over 10 years for community-based services will ensure all children start school ready to succeed at age six.

The Dean plan to educate a generation is based on his success in Vermont.

In 1992, Governor Dean created the Vermont Success By Six initiative, which includes a Welcome Baby program. Community-based partnerships offer Welcome Baby Activities such as meeting new parents at the hospital or in their homes on a voluntary basis. These visits provide community partners with an early opportunity to share information about the local resources available to help families raise healthy, successful children. Since then, Vermont has seen a 43% decrease in child abuse, and a 70% decrease in sexual abuse of children.

Dean's Invest for Success gets kids ready to succeed in school.

Governor Dean's plan will expand his signature Vermont initiative, Welcome Baby Activities, to interested new parents in communities across the country, and make a significant down payment on universal preschool activities for all interested families.

To address the needs of children ages 0-6, the plan sets aside $2 billion over 10 years for Welcome Baby activities that will help parents during their child’s first year, and puts $108 billion in a Fund for Early Childhood which states can use to meet their largest early education needs.

These two components--targeted funds for the first year and a flexible, well-funded plan for children ages 0-5--together will provide parents the resources they need from the day their baby is born until they day that child enters kindergarten.

Welcome Baby Visits

The Welcome Baby Visit plan will make it possible to offer new parents information about community resources and services available to help them be their child’s first teacher.

In communities across the country, local partnerships of nonprofits, local government, health providers, and others will be able to apply for funding to support Invest for Success activities that incorporate Welcome Baby Visits. Qualifying partnerships will commit local funding and in-kind contributions to support the initiative. States can also provide the matching resources as part of a state plan to develop or expand Invest for Success initiatives.

States and communities will be expected to work closely with the non-profit community to build on existing networks to create partnerships that will sponsor the Welcome Baby Visits. The $200 million a year proposed for this initiative will provide matching money to communities to take on this challenge.

Fund for Early Childhood -- preparing children for lifelong success.

This new investment makes a very significant down payment on providing preschool options for every child.

This plan is effective because it:

+ Makes a real financial commitment--It is no longer acceptable to cover half of our children that need help and call it a solution.

+ Will give parents the resources the need--because parents are their child’s first teacher and the key to engaging young children.

+ Is comprehensive. It will support parents at the three points in their child’s life when parents need it most: when they bring their newborn home, when they go to work and need high quality childcare, and when they want to put their children in pre-kindergarten.

+ Protects children from falling behind before they reach kindergarten.

+ Does not mandate one solution from Washington, D.C., but lets states focus on the most pressing needs facing their communities.

Using these guiding principles Governor Dean has developed an ambitious plan to transform how we treat early education in America.

Over the next 10 years, his plan will double the nation’s spending on early education.

That's enough money to:

+ Double the number of children in Early Head Start,
+ Fully-fund Head-Start,
+ Offer child care for another 1.4 million children,
+ Offer pre-kindergarten to every 4 year old.

<snip closing paragraphs that tell you what you just read>

I admittedly know very little about children except that they come from a cabbage patch on a full moon or something like that. I'm still amazed that our species wasn't wiped out by wolves and other predators because our young are so weak and defenseless. That is neither here nor there, it isn't in my best interest to argue with reality. Somehow, those defenseless little things called babies do survive and grow up to be adults.

Because of their defenseless nature and weird ability to learn so quickly, it makes sense to make sure that those first six years of their lives are filled with as much preventative medicine and educational opportunities as possible. I'm not one to believe that throwing money at a problem solves it. Money is only grease for the skids to make the work a bit easier, but if their isn't thought and effort to work with the money, it is wasted. Dean's plan, as outlined and as it worked in Vermont gives the money purpose. It isn't just thrown at the problem, it is being invested in strategic areas.

Dean connects this program with lowering crime ten, fifteen, twenty years down the line because a significant amount of criminal behavior is an indirect and sometimes direct result of the environment a person was raised in. Efforts to lower child abuse result in lowering criminal tendencies. The Prevent Child Abuse Vermont website indicates some secondary uses for these programs as the Welcome Baby program in Vermont was used to help distribute information on Shaken Baby Syndrome:

SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME PREVENTION TRAINING PROJECT
Nearly all parents of newborns in Vermont are being informed about how to safely handle stressful times with infants and the dangers of shaking a baby. It is our goal to have every Vermonter know about Shaken Baby Syndrome and how it can be prevented.

To date, over 35,000 flyers, Shaken Baby Crying Cards and posters have been distributed by hospitals, doctors' offices, Success by Six, Healthy Baby and Welcome Baby Programs etc. Monthly public service announcements are recorded and distributed to more than 30 Vermont radio stations, plus 18 radio and 2 television talk show interviews with our coordinator have taken place. Prevent Child Abuse Vermont

It is well established that child abuse is linked to youth violence.

This program isn't a dramatic departure from what state's have been doing. Louisville, Kentucky has started it's own "Success by 6" program. West Virginia, South Carolina, and Kansas all have begun to implement a Success by 6 programs, mainly through the help of United Way.

The need and desire from the states is clearly present. Dean has administered one of the most successful Success by 6 programs in the nation. Even if Dean doesn't get the nomination, this policy needs to be carried onward. It makes practical sense and has benefits we can't yet begin to measure.

Dean is not the author of these great ideas, but he is an executive with experience in implementing them.

[mikehiggins]

1. Hopefully, he will appoint Clark SecDef and back him up n/t

[Rose Siding]

2. It's a no brainer

This is a policy that directly affects the well being of the people in a very direct way.

What a luxury that a decade long test market (VT) has proved the dramatic success of elements of the plan.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[helleborient]

6. This is one of Dean's truly outstanding plans, however...

And it deserves a kick any day.

[Egnever]

10. Agreed!

:kick:

[LuminousX]

7. I'm not buying into it per se

I'm just using it as an excuse to post long winded threads regarding specific Dean policies I think are winners.

I know it is a complete falsehood that there have been no Dean policy threads. I remember a few months ago feeling overwhelmed wondering why DU was All Dean, All the Time. I think his policies have been discussed so often that there really isn't much left to say about them.

I know this is at least the third time I've discussed Welcome Baby and Success by Six. And now I'm preparing a thread on Dean's Higher Education program, which was also discussed here thoroughly once before.

[helleborient]

8. All Dean All the time...

It's all about winning elections, keeping the focus, and keeping up the good work for a better tomorrow!

[Egnever]

9. Understood

And please dont get me wrong I love this post. His success by six program is one of the leading reasons I am so heavily in the Dean camp. It deserves all the discussion it can get as it is an absolute success story.

I was just making sure you didnt buy into the false premise Funk was trying to put forward here.

Awsome post I love it! I look forward to the Higher education thread.

[LuminousX]

4. Dean has even said Faith Based organizations would be eligible

which helps neutralize a lot of rhetoric regarding this program.

And the fact that it is already being implemented in one form or another means the basic resistence to the idea has already been worn down. It won't be a slam dunk, but it will be darn close.

[drfemoe]

13. I hadn't really heard that ...

because that has been my biggest worry about this program.

As a former religious rw mommy, I could predict the outrage coming from that group upon hearing that the 'state' wants to 'take over' their families. (This is the way they view many of Hillary's efforts.) Since it IS voluntary, and with fbo's on board, they might really dig it. .. if it is explained correctly.

The lower child abuse and family violence stats are one of the things that most impress me. These need to be a major goal for the health of our nation. This is core morality. Most important, it saves lives, with an added bonus of saving other resources as well. Money well invested.

Thanks for putting this together. It's a keeper.

[helleborient]

5. This is a dramatically powerful plan...

John Kerry's much vaunted policies are particularly weak when it comes to kids.

Reading on his web site it seems his primary ideas for kids are simply to throw money at them...as far as early childhood ed. and child care are concerned. Liberal Democrats are correctly attacked for just throwing money at child care and education when they don't offer real ideas of what to do with the money.

That's his idea for making "No Child Left Behind" work...throw money at it. That does nothing to deal with the fact that NCLB promotes teaching to the test to save "failing schools" instead of promoting real education.

[Egnever]

11. This plan has the potential to reshape america

Providing millions with the tools they need to succeed throughout thier lives at an early age can change the face of our society.

[DrFunkenstein]

12. I Give You Props

I think if we could stay towards these types of debates, we could avoid all the silly flaming that goes on from all sides.

PS - Please don't mention Shaken Baby Syndrome in front of my wife. She goes nuts!

Syndrome - 1. A group of symptoms that collectively indicate or characterize a disease, psychological disorder, or other abnormal condition.

PPS - I love your final comment about Dean not coming up with this stuff, but a great guy for implementing them. That impresses me.

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

14. Kick

great policy post!

[PSU84]

15. Electoral Math: Why Dean Can't Win

The electoral match is pretty bleak for any Democrat - and worse in
2004 than in 2000 because the results of the 2000 census moved
several votes from the Northeast and Midwest to the South and the
West. Nevertheless, there would be significantly fewer states "in
play" with Dean as the Democratic candidate than there would be if
Clark were the nominee. By my count, Bush starts off with 129
electoral votes from states that are "reliably red" and is likely to
win another 108 electoral votes from states that "lean red". That
adds up to 237 electoral votes. Either Dean or Clark (or Kerry or
Gephardt) is likely to start off with 76 electoral votes from states
that are "basically blue." There are another 125 electoral votes in
states that tend to "lean blue." That adds up to 196 electoral votes
that might reasonably to be expected to go to a Democrat if he or she
runs a strong campaign and Bush is still fighting a hopeless war in
Iraq. That leaves only 100 electoral votes that are pretty much "up
for grabs":

Illinois 21
Michigan 17
Missouri 11
Ohio 20
Penna. 21
Wisconsin 10

I think MO is really only in play for Gephardt or Clark. So, that
leads to this scenario:

Dean is sure to lose:

Alabama 9
Alaska 3
Arizona 10
Arkansas 6
Colorado 9
Florida 27
Georgia 15
Idaho 4
Indiana 11
Kansas 6
Kentucky 8
Louisiana 9
Mississippi 6
Missouri 11
Montana 3
Nebraska 5
New Hampshire 4
North Carolina 15
North Dakota 3
Oklahoma 7
South Carolina 8
South Dakota 3
Tennessee 11
Texas 34
Utah 5
Virginia 13
Wyoming 3

Total 248
Need to win 270

And so, Bush wins if he carries any 2 of the states that are up for
grabs. But, if Clark is the nominee, the following states are likely
to go from likely wins for Bush back into the "up for grabs" column:

Arizona 10
Arkansas 6
Colorado 9
Florida 27
Kentucky 8
Louisiana 9
Missouri 11
North Carolina 15
Tennessee 11
Virginia 13

Total 119

Clark puts at least two western states, two border states, and
possibly as many as six southern states in play, while Dean has a
realistic chance of turning no more than two of these states - CO and
maybe MO over to the blue column. In other words, Dean starts off
with at most 201 electoral votes to Bush's 248 with only 89 seriously
in play for both of them. Clark would not lose any state that Dean
would win, giving him tha same 201 electoral votes leaning his way
and as many as 208 more in play. Dean starts at such a huge
electoral disadvantage relative to Bush that he MUST win Pennsylvania
AND Illinois AND Ohio AND either Wisconsin or Michigan, or he must
win Wisconsin AND Michigan AND Illinois AND Pennsylvania.

Dean simply cannot win. Clark can.

[dsc]

16. I'll tell you what

If Clark wins North Carolina I will walk naked in Times Square. Barring bribery and or vote stealing on a massive scale no Democratic candidate will carry North Carolina, or Tennessee, or Virginia. I highly doubt we can win Lousiana or Kentucky either.

[PSU84]

17. no thanks

I really don't care to see you naked.

Of the states you listed, KY, TN, VA, and LA are winnable - by a southerner who is a former Army General. NC is the least likely, but not out of the question.

Of course, the worst case scenario is that Dean is nominated and wins VT, DC, Massachusetts and nothing else. This is a distinct possibility. They don't like New England Democrats who sign gay marriage - sorry "civil union" - laws in the South. Or the West. Or the Midwst.

[Padraig18]

18. 6 of the 8 Democrats would win Illinois.

CMB and AS are the only two who wouldn't win it. IL will go Democratic in 2004-- take it to the bank.

[sandnsea]

19. Welcome Baby is good

I like that program alot.

Head Start and Early Head start already exist, as does child care. They could only manage to pass $6 billion on Head Start and $4 billion for day care, so I don't see how he thinks he's going to get $100 billion more.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/hsb/budget/

Early Learning Opportunity Act, passed in 2001. Kerry, and other Senators, have already worked on and passed legislation for Early Childhood Education. Now we just need a President who will fund it with more than $33 million.

Grant funds under this program will be used to pay for early learning programs that are likely to produce sustained gains in early learning. Local councils will ensure that funds made available under this program are used for three or more of the following activities:

(1) Helping parents, caregivers, child care providers, and educators increase their capacity to facilitate the development of cognitive, language comprehension, expressive language, social-emotional, and motor skills, and promote learning readiness;

(2) promoting effective parenting;

(3) enhancing early childhood literacy;

(4) developing linkages among early learning programs within a community and between early learning programs and health care services for young children;

(5) increasing access to early learning opportunities for young children with special needs, including developmental delays, by facilitating coordination with other programs serving such young children;

(6) increasing access to existing early learning programs by expanding the days or times that the young children are served, by expanding the number of young children served, or by improving the affordability of the programs for low-income families;

(7) improving the quality of early learning through professional development and training activities, increased compensation, and recruitment and retention incentives, for early learning providers; and

(8) removing barriers to early learning, including transportation difficulties and absence of programs during nontraditional work times.

http://www.cfda.gov/public/viewprog.asp?progid=1571